Prinny's Taylor is the title of a biography of Louis Bazalgette, who was tailor to the Prince of Wales, later George IV, for 32 years. It was written by his great-great-great-great grandson, Charles Bazalgette, and is now available as a trade paperback from Amazon and other distributors.

On the 5th May, 1788, the Prince of Wales ordered from Louis Bazalgette some rather comical items of fancy dress. [The above extract from the account can be read if you use “Click to view large”.] I haven’t yet found out what occasion these were to be used for, but it must have been for a fancy dress ball, or masquerade, as it would have been called.

A silk mask for a Domino (A domino was a hooded venetian cloak worn over the costume at a masquerade).

We can only imagine who wore the fat ‘countryman’s’ costume, the old woman’s dress and the sweeps’ outfits, but it was presumably the Prince and some of his cronies. Perhaps it was for some sort of elaborate prank. Louis must have thought it unusual for a tailor to be asked to supply shovels and brooms.